From restoration of a landmark fire hall to an exploration of First Nations impact on the development of Alberta’s film industry, a wide array of heritage projects are getting a boost from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation.

More than 60 projects in communities across the province will receive almost $1.5 million in total funding through the foundation’s Heritage Preservation Partnership Program.“By documenting and recording the history of our communities and through the conservation local historic places, Albertans are bringing the story of Alberta’s past to life. Their efforts are helping to create new opportunities while strengthening pride in our communities and our province.”David Eggen, Minister of Culture and TourismAmong the

projects receiving AHRF funding support are:City of Red Deer: Red Deer Armoury / Fire Hall #1 (Red Deer)Grant amount: $36,500: Funding will support the replacement of the cedar shingles on the roof of the main building. The two-and-a-half storey rectangular solid brick building in the Edwardian Free Style was built as an armoury in 1913 and used as a recruiting centre for two World Wars. The building served as Red Deer’s Fire Hall No. 1 from 1961 to 1992 and today houses the downtown branch of the Red Deer Public Library.

Mary Graham (Calgary): First Nations Involvement in Alberta’s Film Industry: An Oral History on the Importance of Stoney Nakoda Influences in the Last CenturyGrant amount: $22,590: As part of a planned publication, The Stunning Backdrop: A Century of Alberta Landscapes in the Movies, the project will include the screening of 12 films that feature components of the Stoney Nakoda culture and/or have members of the First Nation as cast members or location guides. The project will help to create a more complete understanding of the Stoney Nakoda First Nations influences on Alberta’s film industry.

Fort McMurray Historical Society: Fitzsimmons Drill Rig (Fort McMurray)Grant amount: $18,250: The project involves the restoration of a portable cable tool drilling rig for interpretive (not working) purposes. The restored rig will be housed in a new Visitor Centre/Large Artifact Storage facility to be built at the Fort McMurray Heritage Park in 2017. The rig is the only one known to have a direct connection to Robert Fitzsimmons and his efforts in 1920 to extract, process and market petroleum from the Athabasca Oil Sands.

Lac La Biche Mission Historical Society: Lac La Biche Mission (Lac La Biche)Grant amount: $18,250: The grant is for a conservation study and plan to restore buildings to maximize the interpretive potential and visitor appeal of this 19th century French Canadian missionary architecture. The site includes a convent built in 1894, a church built in the early 1920s and several other wood-frame buildings.

A complete list of grant recipients and projects is available online. The Alberta Historical Resources Foundation assists Alberta Culture and Tourism in promoting public awareness and enjoyment of Alberta's heritage and is the Government of Alberta’s primary window for heritage preservation funding.